leonard



(No Model.)

W. G. LEONARD. LAMP P0111113.

No. 281,531. Patgnted July '17, 1883.

I N. PETERS. PhOlOLifilDimPhQh Wash ngton. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

WILLIAM' G. LEONARD, or NE YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE CHARLES PARKER COMPANY, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

' 'LAMP-F-OUNT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 281,531, dated July 17, 1883,

' Application filed May 18, 1383. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GRAYDON LEONARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 40 W. 129th street, New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamp-Founts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings, and toletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to lamp-founts; and it consists in constructing the top of the fount with a series of oil-receiving grooves arranged concentrically, and preferably having their exterior ridges successively higher than one another, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a lamp-fount embodying the invention, and Fig. 2 represents a vertical section through the same.

A designates a lamp-fount of ordinary construction, (except in the respect above referred to,) and having the usual filling-opening, B, and wick-opening 0, both in the top of said fount. The filling-opening. B is closed by a screw-cap, b, and the wick-opening C is surro unded by the usual internally-screw-threaded collar, 0, for the attachment of a burner. The material (preferably glass) of the fount immediately surrounding this wick-opening is raised, so as to form amound or elevation in the center of the top of the fount. This constitutes the inner wall of a circular groove, E, the outer wall of the latter being a circular ridge, F, raised on the top of the fount. Exterior to this ridge is a second groove, E, and its external wall is a ridge, F, similar to ridge F, but higher. The next groove, F, has for its external wall the rim of the fount. The num- Their bottoms are in successively higher planes, proceeding from the center toward the circumference.

- In filling lamps some of the oil is almost unavoidably spilled upon the top thereof, and,if

no means of prevention be employed, it will trickle over the edges. By reason of the at traction between glass and oil, the latter will climb over a single slight rim or ridge formed in or on the fount-top. To prevent this a sin- 5 5 gle groove has hitherto, in some instances, been employed, and provided with a drain-pipe extending from an opening in the bottom of said groove into the interior of said fount. In other instances the drain-pipe has been dispensed with and the groove left without commnnication with the interior of the lamp; but a single groove, will answer the purpose very imperfectly, for the oil, after descending to the bottom, will ascend to the top of the same by reason of its attraction to the glass, and will therefore overflow the top of the lamp-fount. My construction avoids this, as hereinafter stated. This of course will let dust into the latter, and cannot easily be cleansed. Metallic flanges have also been attached to the fount for a similar purpose; but they are easily detached or bent and liable to rust, besides adding an unnecessary element of expense;

My grooves and ridges, being in the body of the fount, are free from these objections. They are as permanent and indestructible as the fount itself, they add little or nothing to the cost of manufacture, and they afford no opening through which dust can pass to the interior of the lamp. If oil collects in the innermost groove, IE, it finds a greater obstacle in each successive outer ridge, and cannot climb them all. If oil spills into any one of the other grooves, it will of course first overflow on the lower-that is, the innerside, and thus tends down toward the center again. From this construction, it results that the oil cannot overflow unless it accumulates in sufficient quantity not only to fill all the grooves, but to overflow all the ridges and fill nearly the entire space within the outer rim. The arrangement of the grooves successively in higher planes and the progressively increasing height of the ridges, though not absolutely indispensable, form an important part of my invention.

I do not claim, broadly, a lamp-fount having a circular groove molded, blown, or otherwise formed in the top thereof, nor a lampfount having a raised ridge or flange formed on 100 the top thereof, these constructions being old 3. A lamp-fount having a series of concen and shown in prior patents; but tric circular grooves formed in its top, for the XVhat I do claim and desire to secure by purpose set forth.

Letters Patent, is- 4. A lamp-fount having a series of concen- 1. A lamp -fount having in its top a series of trie ridges on its top, substantially as set forth. concentric grooves arranged successively in In testimony whereof I affix my signature in higher planes, substantially as set forth. presence of two witnesses.

2. Alamp-founthavingaseries of concentric r grooves arranged successively in higher planes, W ILLIAM GRAY DOA and a series of intervening ridges which suecessively increase in height, substantially as set forth.

Witnesses:

DEXTER W. PARKER, RALPH A. PALMER. 

